UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):

May 21, 2024

CINGULATE INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	001-40874	86-3825535
(State or other jurisdiction	(Commission	(IRS Employer
of incorporation)	File Number)	Identification No.)

1901 W. 47^th Place

Kansas City, KS 66205

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

(913) 942-2300

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

☐	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class

Trading Symbol(s)

Name of exchange on which registered

Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share

CING

The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

(Nasdaq Capital Market)

Warrants, exercisable for one share of common stock

CINGW

The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

(Nasdaq Capital Market)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (17 CFR §230.405) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR §240.12b-2).

Emerging growth company ☒

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 8.01.

Other Events.

On May 21, 2024, Cingulate Inc. (the “Company”) was formally notified that the Nasdaq Hearings Panel (the “Panel”) of the Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC (“Nasdaq”) determined that the Company has regained compliance with the with the minimum stockholders’ equity requirement of $2.5 million under the Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1) (the “Minimum Stockholders’ Equity Rule”). Pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5815(d)(4)(A), the Company will be subject to a discretionary panel monitor through May 21, 2025. If, within that one-year monitoring period, the Company fails to maintain compliance with any Nasdaq continued listing requirement, the Listing Qualifications Staff (the “Staff”) of Nasdaq will issue a Delist Determination Letter, and the Company will have an opportunity to request a new hearing with the initial Panel or a newly convened Hearings Panel if the initial Panel is unavailable. Notwithstanding Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(2), the Company will not be permitted to provide the Staff with a plan of compliance with respect to any deficiency that arises during the one-year monitoring period, and the Staff will not be permitted to grant additional time for the Company to regain compliance with respect to any deficiency.

As previously disclosed, on May 16, 2023, the Company received a letter from Nasdaq stating that the Company no longer complied with the Minimum Stockholders’ Equity Rule. In addition, as previously disclosed, the Company received a notice on February 22, 2024 that the Panel granted the Company an extension to regain compliance with the Minimum Stockholders’ Equity Rule until May 13, 2024.

The Company is including the below update to its risk factors, for the purpose of supplementing and updating the disclosure contained in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on April 1, 2024.

Our failure to maintain compliance with Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements could result in the delisting of our securities from Nasdaq, and the price of our common stock and/or warrants and our ability to access the capital markets could be negatively impacted.

Our common stock and warrants are currently listed for trading on The Nasdaq Capital Market. We must satisfy the continued listing requirements of Nasdaq to maintain the listing of our securities on The Nasdaq Capital Market.

On May 16, 2023, we received a notice from the Listing Qualifications Staff (the “Staff”) of Nasdaq stating that we no longer complied with the minimum stockholders’ equity requirement of $2.5 million under the Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1) (the “Minimum Stockholders’ Equity Rule”) for continued listing. We submitted a plan of compliance to Nasdaq on June 30, 2023. On July 28, 2023, Nasdaq notified us that it had granted an extension until November 13, 2023 to regain compliance with the Minimum Stockholders’ Equity Rule, conditioned upon achievement of certain milestones included in the plan of compliance previously submitted to Nasdaq, including a plan to raise additional capital. On November 14, 2023, we received a letter from Nasdaq indicating that, based upon our non-compliance with the Minimum Stockholders’ Equity Rule, the Staff had determined to delist our securities from Nasdaq, subject to our request for a hearing before the Nasdaq Hearings Panel (the “Panel”).

On December 26, 2023, we received an additional letter from the Staff indicating that, based upon the resignation of three members of our board of directors on December 12, 2023 and December 13, 2023, we no longer compiled with the independent director, audit committee, compensation committee and independent director oversight of director nominations requirements as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605. We timely requested a hearing before the Panel, which was held on February 13, 2024. On February 22, 2024, the Panel notified us that (i) as a result of the appointment of three independent board members on February 12, 2024, we had regained compliance with the board composition requirements of Nasdaq set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605 and (ii) it granted our request for an exception to evidence continued compliance with the Minimum Stockholders’ Equity Rule through May 13, 2024. On May 21, 2024, we were formally notified that the Panel determined that we have regained compliance with the Minimum Stockholders’ Equity Rule. Pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5815(d)(4)(A), we will be subject to a discretionary panel monitor through May 21, 2025 (the “Panel Monitor”). If, within that one-year monitoring period, we fail to maintain compliance with any Nasdaq continued listing requirement, the Staff will issue a Delist Determination Letter and we will have an opportunity to request a new hearing with the initial Panel or a newly convened Hearings Panel if the initial Panel is unavailable. Notwithstanding Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(2), we will not be permitted to provide the Staff with a plan of compliance with respect to any deficiency that arises during the one-year monitoring period, and the Staff will not be permitted to grant additional time for us to regain compliance with respect to any deficiency.

On July 28, 2023, we received a notice from Nasdaq indicating that we were not in compliance with the requirement to maintain a minimum bid price of $1.00 per share for continued listing on Nasdaq (the “Minimum Bid Price Rule”). We were provided a compliance period of 180 calendar days from the date of the notice, or until January 24, 2024, to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Rule, pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A). On November 30, 2023, we effected a reverse stock split of our common stock, and on December 15, 2023, we received notice from Nasdaq that we had regained compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Rule. In the event that our closing bid price falls below $1.00 per share for more than 30 consecutive business days, we will no longer be in compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Rule, and as a result of the Panel Monitor, we would receive a Delist Determination Letter and we would have an opportunity to request a new hearing with the initial Panel or a newly convened Hearings Panel if the initial Panel is unavailable. There can be no assurance that we will continue to maintain compliance with the minimum closing bid price requirement or the other Nasdaq listing requirements.

We must satisfy Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements, including, among other things, the Minimum Stockholders’ Equity Rule, or risk delisting, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. If our common stock and warrants are delisted from Nasdaq, it could materially reduce the liquidity of our common stock and warrants and result in a corresponding material reduction in the price of our common stock and warrants as a result of the loss of market efficiencies associated with Nasdaq and the loss of federal preemption of state securities laws. In addition, delisting could harm our ability to raise capital through alternative financing sources on terms acceptable to us, or at all, and may result in the potential loss of confidence by investors, suppliers, customers and employees and fewer business development opportunities. If our common stock and warrants are delisted, it could be more difficult to buy or sell our common stock and warrants or to obtain accurate quotations, and the price of our common stock and warrants could suffer a material decline. Delisting could also impair our ability to raise capital on acceptable terms, if at all.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	CINGULATE INC.

Dated: May 28, 2024	By:	/s/ Shane J. Schaffer
	Name:	Shane J. Schaffer
	Title:	Chief Executive Officer